London, Feb. 25 -- A group of Chinese tuna fishing vessels operating in the Indian Ocean reportedly used North Koreans as crew between 2019 and 2024, in violation of UN sanctions, according to a new report.

London-based group the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) in its new investigation has said that many people were subjected to abuses including being trapped at sea for years on Chinese vessels involved in illegal fishing and the killing of dolphins.

The UK group, which specialises in environmental and human rights issues said that it based its report on interviews with 19 Indonesians and Filipinos who worked alongside them.

"These interviews, alongside additional intelligence gained through open sources and multimedia evidence ...